Buzz Magazine

With the utterance of a few words on live television tonight, LeBron James will simultaneously crush the hopes of NBA fans in several cities across America while giving NBA title dreams to another lucky fanbase in Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, or New York.  It really is a twisted spectacle of can’t miss TV.

The rumor mill has been churning nonstop for weeks now, but the word from “Reliable sources close to James” point to the formation of a seemingly unbeatable trio of James joining Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in Miami to play for the Heat.  For the Chicago Bulls, this is a disaster scenario because they went from frontrunner in the free agent sweepstakes to consolation prize winner with the signing of forward Carlos Boozer. 

It is still hard to imagine that LeBron will go on ESPN this evening and stab the city of Cleveland in the back.  But the Cavaliers have done little to bolster its roster and improve the team other than hiring Byron Scott as head coach.  If LeBron does decide to bolt from Cleveland for South Beach, I (and many other fans) will view it as nothing more than a cop out. 

LeBron has a chance to form his own legacy.  The notion that if he played for the Bulls, he would be overshadowed by Michael Jordan’s legacy is totally ridiculous.  LeBron has formed his own name over the last seven seasons and will continue to do so.  He will be scrutinized by the media and fans no matter where he goes.  But the king going to Miami to me feels like LeBron is saying, “I need all the help I can get.”  He feels the pressure to win titles so much that he has to team up with two of the NBA’s best players and form a proverbial dream team.  If he signs with Miami, he’s admitting he can’t do it himself.

I’m not just saying this as a bitter Bulls fan that is still holding out hope that LeBron will see the light and make a decision to join a team that will have the best roster around him.  I’m saying this as an NBA fan.  I want to see that LeBron has some guts.  If he signs with Chicago, or even with the New York Knicks, he’s saying, “Alright Wade and Bosh, you have your team, I have mine.  Bring it on.”  If he wants to be considered a legend while at the same time turning his back on his hometown, this is what he needs to do. 

I know that LeBron can’t really win in this situation.  But let’s be honest, he has not handled this free agency period well.  He has jerked several franchises around, and has disregarded his hometown and roots almost completely all in an effort to improve his brand.  He created a Twitter account and will launch a new website after announcing his decision tonight on live TV.  This isn’t as much about basketball anymore as it is about advertising.  That’s what’s really sad about this whole thing.

To me, it makes more sense for Lebron to go to a team like the Bulls or Knicks.  The Bulls have a great roster that could surround James and allow him to both pass well and score.  The can also pick up the slack if King James is ever underperforming.  The Knicks have a lot of money to improve their roster, and already signed forward Amare Stoudemire.  The city and franchise are perfect for LeBron’s inflated ego and brand.  With the Heat, LeBron will be playing with two stars, and nine rookies or minimum salary free agents.  From a basketball standpoint, it’s a no brainer to me.  The Bulls have the most to offer.  Obviously, there’s much more going on with this decision for LeBron.

All I know is that tonight, there’s a good chance that my respect for LeBron James will diminish, and I know many fans feel the same way.  At the end of the day, tonight will likely show that branding and advertising mean as much if not more to professional basketball players than winning itself.  But hey, we have to tune in to find out.       

The 2010 NBA season has finally ended....(yes, it did seem like it went on forever, welcome to pro basketball, folks!) and the summer that everyone has been talking about for years has finally arrived. So, wondering what the Chicago Bulls can do to turn the corner and become the league's next big power? Here's how their summer might play out.

The Bulls hired the extremely intense and defensive-minded Tom Thibideau. This decision alone changes the development of the roster and overall direction of the team. The Bulls should no longer look like the "we give up 125ppg" Golden State Warriors. Thibideau also has a pedigree in developing players, so don't be surprised if guys like Acie Law and Joe Alexander are kept around to develop. Both are free agents, but in-expensive ones. If you can play defense and knock down any type of shot there's room for you on this team. This also bodes well for 2nd year forward James Johnson.

With the NBA draft just ahead of us look for the Bulls to bring in a quality guard to eat up minutes and help out with scoring. The Bulls would love a combo guard much like Kirk Hinrich, as Kirk's contract is a bit high, yet his heart and effort makes it hard for the Bulls to give him up. many contenders have come knocking on the door each year asking about Hinrich, including Thibideau's former team, the Boston Celtics. He fits the mode of exactly what Thibideau wants in a quality 3rd guard.

The Bulls worked out alot of players you've never heard of, or don't care to hear about, so let me give you the names you might find important. Mock drafts will tell you that the Bulls will draft 7-footer Hassan Whiteside. This would be a horrible pick, as Whiteside is a project right now, and at best is a mid-season back-up center skill-wise. Xavier Henry from Kansas is the guy the Bulls would love to land, if he drops, but chances are he won't. So keep your eyes open for the names James Anderson, a 6'6 long-armed scorer from Oklahoma state, or Dominique Jones, a solid 6'4 combo guard with an excellent jump shot. Anyone else (besides Henry) would just be....uncivilized.

Looking at the free agent list? Well the Bulls need a quality back-up no matter if you keep Kirk or don't. You can spend time developing Law, or you can invest in other guys who play defense and hit jump shots like Luke Ridnour or Steve Blake. Both are unselfish and play hard.

The idea of signing a vteran who can play isn't a bad option either. Jarvis Hayes and Raja Bell aren't world-changers, but they are quality veterans who will help your locker room and play hard every night out.

The power forward position is a funny one. Stoudamire and Bosh are going to play Robin to someone's Batman somewhere this summer Is Chicago that destination? Don't count on it. Carlos Boozer is more of a likely option, a long shot, yet an option. If you're looking to sure up your bench keeping Hakim Warrick wouldn't be a bad option, nor would be signing Haslem from Miami, or hometown vet Juwan Howard, who could play mentor and give you 10 to 12 quality minutes.

Of course everything is up for grabs if LeBron comes to Chicago. However if this dream does not occur, there is a great option on the table, featuring rebounding monster David Lee, and budding superstar (and restricted free agent) Rudy Gay. Both players have gotten better and better each season, and are ready for the time to shine. Both can be had for the same price it would cost you to get a Wade or LBJ.

Brad Miller may have seen his last days as a Bull which is fine, but anyone thinking that signing Shaq is an option is really not thinking correctly. Don't be surprised to see the Bulls make a play for Omer Asik, a 23yr. old Turkish center who was the 36th pick in the 2008 draft via Portland. He is currently property of the Bulls and would love to come to the US and play, which is great because his overseas contract just expired. What you need to know about Asik is that he's big and long, another high energy guy much like the Bulls current center, Joakim Noah. He's also very raw offensively, yet more developed than the option of drafting Whiteside. Although he's been injury-plagued in the past, the Bulls are very high on him and the way he plays, and just might earn a back-up spot on the roster if he shows any offensive game this summer.

Now if they could only trade Luo Deng.....

 

It took awhile, but Derrick Rose is finally figuring out the kind of superstar he can be.

 

 

 

For most of America, the New Year means raising glasses of champagne, toasting to new beginnings.   For the Chicago Bulls, it means you’re in the midst of a 6-13 stretch and half of the sports world is calling for your head coach to get the axe.

 

If the Bulls’ front office was hesitant to make a decision on the future of Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, Monday’s game provided some much needed clarity for GM Gar Foreman and VP of Basketball Operations John Paxson.

The Bulls couldn’t quite pull it off in game seven in Boston on Saturday night, and now their season is over. But honestly, the Bulls have proven over the last seven games that they can be an upper echelon team in the NBA. For Bulls fans, there is nothing to be upset about with this season now over.

This series between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics can’t get any better after Thursday night’s game. Yet, the Bulls will be shippin’ off to Boston for Saturday night’s game seven. Keep your defibrillators nearby. It is only fitting that the series end like this.

When Bulls guard Ben Gordon grabbed his crotch right after he hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 4.5 seconds remaining in overtime, he wasn’t scratching an itch. He was simply pointing out that he has the balls to take (and make) those kinds of game deciding shots.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the trades the Bulls made at the deadline, that maybe it would give them a surge into the playoffs. Well, my friends, so far it looks like the surge is working.

Watching the Chicago Bulls play on a night like Saturday night when they dominate and win can be frustrating for any diehard fan like me, believe it or not. It is clear that a lot of fans want more out of this team. While the Bulls came out on Saturday after a dismal road trip in which they went 0-3 and stomped the New Orleans Hornets 97-79, there still is a level of disappointment for all the fans that know this season could have been a lot better.